


One Nail Drives Out Another

by Arithanas



Category: The Village (UK TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-16 05:22:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13047348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arithanas/pseuds/Arithanas
Summary: Sometimes folk wisdom is not enough to sooth some particularly restless spirits.





	One Nail Drives Out Another

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kainosite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kainosite/gifts).



Stephen Bairstow stumbled through the streets of the village. His knees were still shaking and he leaned heavily on walls to keep him upright. The shops had closed a long time ago but under the moonlight he could still read the signs. He was close to the door he was looking for, but that didn’t hurry him along as it usually did.

This paradoxical situation was not lost on a sharp mind like Bairstow’s. And he knew the reason behind his tardiness. Agnes’s abode was the place where he could let the big house go. This particular night marked the moment when the big house and he became one and the same. As far as fortunes were concerned, they were one. The sound of his shoes striking the pavement rang out the death knell to his former self.

Bairstow scoffed and walked straight to the door. He raised his hand, ready to knock on the door until Agnes opened it for him. The bruise on his arm stopped him short. Under the moonlight, the visible reminder of this night looked darker than he expected. Bairstow pulled his sleeve down and knocked lower on the door instead.

The faint light of a lamp shone in the curtains of the window. The sound of Agnes’s light body leaving her bed made his heart skip. Too bad other parts of his anatomy refused to cooperate.

“Impotentia coeundi”

The sound of his own voice made him scoff. That would be such an unexpected twist.

***

“He doesn’t smoke.”

The sentence was delivered with calm enunciation. It was enough to cut short the brandy Edmund Allingham was pouring into his glass.

“Who?”

“Robert Read” Stephen approached Edmund. “You are not doing anything stupid with such a man.”

“And what if that’s the case?” Edmund asked.

Allingham was as close to Bairstow as he could be. The brandy in his hand was still and too close to Stephen’s hip. That brandy could be ready to drink just from the warmth radiating from Stephen Bairstow’s loins. How much Stephen hated that beautiful mess of a man and how much his cock stirred at his proximity were directly related. It was the most galling situation…

“Then I’m wasting my time with you.” Stephen felt his eyes shutting as his anger threatened to boil over. “And I refuse to waste a masterpiece of blackmail to get you into the Cabinet if you have so little respect as to spit on it. I’m done.”

Stephen meant his words. Edmund shouldn’t jeopardize such a golden chance because he couldn’t keep it inside his pants. It wasn't that taxing to avoid, for Pete’s sake!

Edmund’s reached for Bairstow and his hand gripped Stephen’s wrist with such force. Stephen was sure his skin would bruise in the morning but at the moment he couldn’t care less.

“Let go of me,” Stephen muttered. He wasn’t sure if he wouldn’t scream in Allingham’s face if he raised his voice even a little, “as I’m letting you go.”

“Stay,” Edmund whispered. “I need you…”

Oh, Stephen had wanted him to state such feelings for so long but not in this setting. Not related to political affairs. He wanted to hear them with Edmund on his knees, panting with desire.

He wanted those words from Edmund’s lips when Edmund were dirtier than himself.

“If you really need me, you should have heard me when I needed you. Instead you went all principled on me.”

“I can’t promise you I won’t let my principles chafe me anymore, but without you I can’t hold…”

“You can’t hold yourself together with me here either.” Stephen found himself drawn toward Edmund again. “Quit wasting my time, Allingham.”

“I need you.”

“You can’t afford me anymore.”

“I’ll do anything,” Edmund promised and his voice rang so true that Stephen felt his rage boil over.

Allingham next movement was too brazen to believe. Bairstow felt the curved surface of Edmund’s glass touch his hot crotch. The cold, unyielding glass pushes against the relentless throbbing of his flesh. It was a maddening sensation.

“Something tells me you need me as much as I need you.”

Bairstow slapped the glass away from him and his hand reached for the undone bow tie. He pushed forward against Allingham, caring little about the great divide between them.

“I am nothing,” Stephen said and took a step forward. To his surprise Edmund took a step back, his cynical smile was waning but not fast enough. “I can return to being nothing and the world wouldn’t take notice. Can you say the same, Allingham?”

“You know I cannot.” The smile disappeared completely as he uttered those words. “That’s why I need you…”

“If you really do need me…” Stephen took another step pushing his pretend employer. “Then you would be willing to do anything I ask from you.”

“Yes,” Allingham’s voice got a husky quality that Bairstow hadn’t heard before. “Anything you ask for. From now on…”

“Would you?”

The affirmation sounded more like a sigh than an agreement. Stephen Bairstow had no compunctions. He was ready to take whatever it was in offer.

“Drop your trousers.”

Allingham gulped. Bairstow felt his knuckles brushing against his belly as the buttons of his formal, black trousers were undone. Alligham’s bated breath fluttered against Bairstow’s lips. It tasted of alcohol and want.

“Now turn around.”

“But…”

“Obey me, you petulant brat!”

The words were almost spat to Allingham’s face and they felt so good. Edmund Allingham gasped and began to turn around. His bow tie telegraphed the poundings of his hurried heart to Bairstow’s fingertips.

The thrill of his submission made Bairstow hard again. His hand caressed Allingham’s shoulders over the fine fabric of his black coat. He almost needed not to exert any force to force Allingham to bend over the arm of the settee. He drew near to the bent man, his hard cock trembled inside his trousers when he touched the naked flesh.

“You have been working against your interests, Mister Allingham.”

“I have.” Allingham admitted, his bare buttocks trembling against Bairstow. If that was due to pleasure or to fear, there was no way to tell.

“That’s a punishable offense, don’t you think?”

“Yes, it is.” Allingham panted. It was obvious he was having a hard time keeping his body from rubbing against Bairstow.

“Then,” Bairstow said, planting his left hand firmly between Allingham’s shoulder blades. “You’ll agree to stay right there and take your punishment.”

Allingham gulp was far too loud while Bairstow freed his belt from his trouser loops.

“Do you agree, Mr Allingham?”

Bairstow looked like the colours mounted to the most powerful man in the village. His loins trembled when Edmond mouthed his agreement with a long, quivering whine.

***

Stephen Bairstow knew very well when he had placed a risky bet. He was toeing the line so closely that his hands were shaking against the doorframe. To stand right there in the middle of the night was sheer insanity. This little house held the only balm that could sooth his aching, resting loins.

“I got an hour,” Stephen said by way of greeting.

Agnes nodded and let him step inside. Her smile was as shy as ever and her demeanour as meek as possible. Stephen knew her warm embrace would be the only thing that could take the spoiled brat out of his mind.

It was an hour too early to know his calculations were woefully wrong.

**Author's Note:**

> ... except when it drives in further.
> 
> Beta work for this piece was provided by K.


End file.
